Rhino
05-09-2007, 08:56 AM
Seattle Hospital Admits Breaking Law When Sterilizing Girl at Parents' Request
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
SEATTLE — A Seattle hospital acknowledged breaking state law when doctors performed a hysterectomy on a severely developmentally disabled girl whose parents have pursued medical treatments to stunt her growth, in order to make her easier to care for.
Sterilization surgeries must not be performed on children without a court order, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center said Tuesday after an investigation by the Washington Protection and Advocacy System, a non-profit group advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. The hospital also agreed to appoint "someone with a disability rights perspective" to its ethics committee.
Doctors performed the experimental surgeries in 2004, removing the girl's uterus and breast buds. The girl, identified only as "Ashley," was 6 years old at the time. The hospital's ethics committee supported the treatment, which included hormone therapy, but noted before the surgeries that court review would be required.
A lawyer for the girl's parents disagreed, saying the state law did not apply in Ashley's case....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270782,00.html
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
SEATTLE — A Seattle hospital acknowledged breaking state law when doctors performed a hysterectomy on a severely developmentally disabled girl whose parents have pursued medical treatments to stunt her growth, in order to make her easier to care for.
Sterilization surgeries must not be performed on children without a court order, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center said Tuesday after an investigation by the Washington Protection and Advocacy System, a non-profit group advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. The hospital also agreed to appoint "someone with a disability rights perspective" to its ethics committee.
Doctors performed the experimental surgeries in 2004, removing the girl's uterus and breast buds. The girl, identified only as "Ashley," was 6 years old at the time. The hospital's ethics committee supported the treatment, which included hormone therapy, but noted before the surgeries that court review would be required.
A lawyer for the girl's parents disagreed, saying the state law did not apply in Ashley's case....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270782,00.html